William Gaston was a grandson of Huguenot Jean Gaston. Jean Gaston was banished from France by the Catholics and fled to Calvinist Scotland about the middle of the Seventeenth Century. Jean Gaston’s property was confiscated. The brothers and relatives of Jean Gaston who remained Ca tholics in France sent means of support to Scotland.
Jean Gaston was a devout man. The worst language he wa s ever heard to use was when he hurt his mouth with a tabl e fork, an implement just coming into use. Jean Gaston exclaimed, “Devil take the fork!” His Calvinistic progeny remem bered the story for over a hundred years.
Sons of Jean Gaston emigrated from Scotland to County Antrim, Ireland, in the 1660’s, a time of religious persecution in Scotland. John Gaston appears on the hearth — money rate list for Ireland in 1669, as a resident of Magheragall, County Antrim.
William Gaston. Jean Gaston’s grandson, lived at Clough Water, County Antrim, (near Ballymena) Ireland. William Gaston was father of the first Gastons to come to the state of South Carolina. William Gaston married Mary (Olivet) Lemon. Nine sons end daughters of William and Mary Lemon Gas ton left Ireland to come to America for religious and economic reasons.
To William and Mary Lemon Gaston were born the following children:
(1) John Gaston was born circa 1710; died in 1782. John Gaston married Esther Waugh (born circa 1715; die d in 1789) . Lived in Chester County, South Carolina.
(2) Elizabeth Gaston married John Knox and lived in Chester County.
(3) Hugh Gaston married Mary Thomson, daughter of the Reverend James Thomson, a Presbyterian minister in Ireland. Hugh Gaston died in S.C. on October 20, 1766. Hugh Gaston was a Presbyterian minister.
(4) Mary Gaston married Jame s McClure. Lived in Chester County. James McClure’s will was probated in Charleston, in 1771. Mary Gaston McClure’s will was probated in Chester in 1802.
(5) Robert Gaston lived on Lynch’s Creek in Lancaster County, South Carolina.
(6) Jenny Gaston married Charles Strong and lived in Chester County.
(7) William Gaston married Jane Harbiso n. William Gaston was drowned at Kell’s Ford, Chester Co unty, circa 1790.
(8) Martha Gaston married Alexander Rosborough and lived in Chester County,
(9) Alexander Gaston married Margaret Sharpe. Alexander Gaston was a physician in New Bern, North Carolina, and was killed by Tories, August 20, 1781.